Heel portion of safety ski bindings devoid of cables

ABSTRACT

A heel portion of a ski binding comprises a casing which pivotably supports a latch lever for movement about a horizontal axis and a release lever for pivotal movement about a second horizontal axis. The release lever carries a heel retainer and a latching bolt which engages with a latching surface on the latch lever. A release spring is pivotably carried on the casing and acts on the latch lever to oppose release of the bolt from the latching surface, and the spring carries a displaceable element at its front end which is engaged with the latch lever for transmitting the force of the spring to the latch lever. The displaceable element is displaceable along the latch lever upon pivotal movement of the spring between a first position remote from the pivot axis of the latch lever on the casing and a second position closer to the latter axis, such that in the second position the opposite of the spring to release of the bolt from the latching surface is substantially less than in the first position.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Norbert Piretschner Innsburck. Austria [2|] Appl. No. 807,665 [22] Filed Mar. [7,1969 [45] Patented July 20, I97 I [73] Assignee Geratebau Huber Kommanditgesellschaft Gotzis, Austria [32] Priority Mar. 15,1968 (33] Austria [3] 1 A2573/t58 [54] HEEL PORTION OF SAFETY SKI BINDINGS DEVOID 0F CABLES I 8 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

[52] US Cl t 280/1135 T [51] Int. Cl A63c 9/00 [50]v Field of Search 280/! 1 35.

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,291,500 l2/l966Vos teretal. 280/11.35T'

3,317.2[7 5/l967 Poigter...

Primary ExaminerBenjamin Hersh Assistant ExaminerRobert R. Song Atr0mey-Waters, Roditi, Schwartz & Nissen ABSTRACT: A heel portion of a ski binding comprises a casing which pivotably supports a latch lever for movement about a horizontal axis and a release lever for pivotal movement about a second horizontal axis. The release lever carries a heel retainer and a latching bolt which engages with a latching surface on the latch lever. A release spring is pivotably carried on the casing and acts on the latch lever to oppose release of the bolt from the latching surface, and the spring carries a displaceable element at its front end which is engaged with the latch lever for transmitting the force, of the spring to the latch lever. The. displaceable element is displaceable along the latch lever upon pivotal movement of the spring between a first position remote from the pivot axis of the latch lever on the casing and a second position closer to the latter axis, such that in the second position the opposite of the spring to release of the bolt from the latching surface is substantially less than in the first position.

PATENTEB JUL20 I971 3.594.015

SHEET 1 OF 3 PATENTED JUL20 1971 sum 2 BF 3 V The present invention relates to the heel portion of safety ski bindings devoid of cables, the heel retainer automatically snapping into operative position upon insertion and being opened for example by pressure of the ski pole, said heel portion comprising a latch lever pivotally mounted in the binding casing about a horizontal transverse axis, under the adjustable pressure of a release spring, and a release lever pivotally mounted in the binding casing about another horizontal transverse axis, the heel retainer and a latchbolt being mounted on said release lever, said latchbolt latching in the latch surface of the latch lever, when the binding is closed.

Safety ski bindings comprising a heel retainer of the aforesaid features are known. The constructional measures which serve for the arbitrary opening of the heel retainer are relatively complicated in the known bindings of this kind and therefore susceptible to troubles.

This shortcoming is eliminated according to the invention in that, at the front end of the release spring, a gliding or rolling element engaging against the latch lever is arranged, said gliding or rolling element being arbitrarily adjustable, e.g. by pressure of the ski pole, in the direction of the axis of said latch lever at least approximately up to the height of the latch surface. Thereby the resistance of the latch lever against a force acting on the latch surface (exerted over the latchbolt arranged on the release lever) is diminished in the ratio of diminution of the torque applied to the latch lever by the pressure of the release spring. The diminution of the torque results from the shortening of the leverarm between the point of application of the release spring and the axis of rotation of the latch lever, said shortening occurring by the adjustment according to the invention of the gliding or rolling element in the direction of the axis of the latch lever.

it is convenient to provide one ormore guiding surfaces on the side ofthe latch lever facing the gliding or rolling element for the adjustment and for the automatic return of the adjusted gliding or rolling element.

For the adjustmentaccording to the inventionof the gliding or rolling element atthe front end of the release spring a cover swingable about a horizontal transverse axis is conveniently provided on the binding casing, said cover simultaneously forming the cover of the binding casing. The axis of the cover may conveniently coincide with. the axis of the release lever.

Embodiments of the invention are hereinafter described more in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. I is a side view of the heel portion in operative positron.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section of the heel portion and FIG.

3 is a section taken alonglll-lll'of FIG. 2.

In FIGS. 2 and 3 therelease lever comprising the retainer is only shown in phantom dashlined.

FIG. il is a longitudinal section of the heel portion, when the unlocking cover is pressed.

FIG. is a side view wherein some internal component'parts are shown dash-lined, when the unlocking cover is pressed and the release lever is swung upward.

On a baseplate l, which is screwed onto the ski, a binding casing 2 is arranged. On abinding casing 2 the release lever,3 is pivotally mounted about a horizontal transverse axis by means of a pivot pins 4 (FIG. 3); The release-lever 3 supports a heel retainer 5 and a heel solepla'te 6. Furthermore, a latch lever 13 is pivotally mounted about another horizontal transverse axis by means of a bolt 7 on thebinding casing 2.On the latch lever 8 is a latch surface 9inwhich'engages a latchbolt 10 of the release lever 3, when the binding is closed. Generally the latchbolt I0 is maintained in engagement with the latch surface 9 by the prcssureof areleasespring Ill against the latch lever 8. Only ife.g. due to a fall-the latchbolt '10 presses against the latch surface 9 with a higher force, will the latch lever 8 turn aside, the release spring 11 being compressed. Then the latchbolt l0 and the release lever 3 compressing the heel retainer 5 and the heel sole plate 6 can swing upward, whereby the boot heel is freed from the binding.

Apart from this opening of the bindingdue to an excessive strain, an arbitrary opening, i.e. an upward swinging of the release lever 3, must be possible for getting into and out of the binding. For this reason a gliding element 12 is arranged on the front end of the release spring Ill, said gliding element being displaceable along guiding surfaces 14 on the latch lever 8 by means ofits boltlike projections 13 (FIG. 3). Thereby the gliding element 12 and thus the point of application of the release spring I! on the latch lever 8 approximately reaches the level of the latch surface 9 (FIG. 4). As the torque on the latch lever 8 is diminished in accordance with the shortening of the lever arm between the point of application of the release spring and the axis of rotation (bolt 7) of the latch lever 8, a relatively small force is sufficient to free the latchbolt 10 from the latch surface 9 and to swing the release lever 3 comprising the heel retainer 5 and the heel sole plate 6 upward (FIG. 5), whereby it is possible to get out of the binding.

Upon insertion into the open binding (FIG. 5), the heel sole plate 6 of the release lever 3 is simply tred down, and the latchbolt 10 again reaches under the latch surface 9 of the latch lever 8 (FIG. 4), the latter snapping forward and provid' ing an automatic return of the gliding element 12 along the guiding surfaces 14 of the latch lever 8 into the normal position (FIG. 2).

For the adjustment of the gliding element 12 a cover 15 is provided which is pivotally mounted about the same horizontal transverse axis as the release lever 3 in the binding casing 2. Simultaneously the cover I5 forms the cover of the binding casing 2. Furthermore, the rear end of the release spring 11 is supported in the cover 15 (FIG. 3). A spring support disk 16 has the form of a female screw thread for receiving the end of spring 11 and the disk 16 is arranged on the threaded shaft 17 of anadjusting screw 18 which is adjustable from outside, said adjusting screw 18 being supported on the internal wall of the cover 15 by means of a collar 19. The release force of the release spring 11 can be controlled by the adjustment of the screw 18.

The binding casing 2 is adjustable on the baseplate I in a guiding 20 fixed to plate 1 in the longitudinal direction between limiting stops (not shown). The binding casing 2 is pressed forward by a pressing spring 21 acting between guiding 20 and latch lever 8. Thus the contact pressure ofthe binding is adjustable separately from the release mechanism of the release lever 3. The binding is, completely irrespective of the adjusted release force, longitudinally resilient and compensates for all unexpected compressive :forces by means of the pressing spring 21, said compressive forces occurring e.g. when passing drops in the ground, which might cause an undesired premature releasing. Possible longitudinal tolerances or modifications of the ski boot are also compensated for by the pressing spring 21.

What I claim is:

l. A heel portion of a ski binding comprising a heel retainer having operative and release positions and being selectively movable therebetween, a casing, a latch lever connected to said casing for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis, a release lever carrying said retainer and mounted on said casing for pivotal movement about a second horizontal axis between the operative and release positions for said heel retainer, latching means between said latch lever and said release lever for releasable latching therebetween, a release spring pivotably carried on said casing and acting on said latch lever to oppose release of said latching means, a displaceable element carried by said spring and engaged with the latch lever for transmitting the force of the spring to saidlatch lever, said displaceable element being displaceable along the latch lever upon pivotal movement of the spring between a first position remote from the pivot axis of the latch lever .on the casing and a second position closer to the latter said axis such that in said second position the opposition of the spring to release of the latch means is substantially less than in the first position.

2. A heel portion as claimed in claim I wherein said latch means comprises a bolt on said release lever, and a latch surface on said latch lever for receiving said bolt.

3. A heel portion as claimed in claim I wherein said latch lever has at least one guiding surface against which the displaceable element is in contact for guided displacement therealong.

4. A heel portion as claimed in claim 1 wherein said displaceable element includes lateral boltlike projections guidably supported for displacement by said latch lever.

5. A heel portion as claimed in claim I comprising a cover connected to said casing for pivotable movement about a horizontal axis and carrying said spring.

6. A heel portion as claimed in claim 5 wherein the axis of rotation of the cover coincides with the axis of rotation of the release lever.

7. A heel portion as claimed in claim 5 wherein said spring has a forward end on which the displaceable element is supported. the rearward end of the spring being connected to said cover.

8. A heel portion as claimed in claim 7 comprising means on said cover for adjusting the tension in the spring. 

1. A heel portion of a ski binding comprising a heel retainer having operative and release positions and being selectively movable therebetween, a casing, a latch lever connected to said casing for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis, a release lever carrying said retainer and mounted on said casing for pivotal movement about a second horizontal axis between the operative and release positions for said heel retainer, latching means between said latch lever and said release lever for releasable latching therebetween, a release spring pivotably carried on said casing and acting on said latch lever to oppose release of said latching means, a displaceable element carried by said spring and engaged with the latch lever for transmitting the force of the spring to said latch lever, said displaceable element being displaceable along the latch lever upon pivotal movement of the spring between a first position remote from the pivot axis of the latch lever on the casing and a second position closer to the latter said axis such that in said second position the opposition of the spring to release of the latch means is substantially less than in the first position.
 2. A heel portion as claimed in claim 1 wherein said latch means comprises a bolt on said release lever, and a latch surface on said latch lever for receiving said bolt.
 3. A heel portion as claimed in claim 1 wherein said latch lever has at least one guiding surface against which the displaceable element is in contact for guided displacement therealong.
 4. A heel portion as claimed in claim 1 wherein said displaceable element includes lateral boltlike projections guidably supported for displacement by said latch lever.
 5. A heel portion as claimed in claim 1 comprising a cover connected to said casing for pivotable movement about a horizontal axis and carrying said spring.
 6. A heel portion as claimed in claim 5 wherein the axis of rotation of the cover coincides with the axis of rotation of the release lever.
 7. A heel portion as claimed in claim 5 wherein said spring has a forward end on which the displaceable element is supported, the rearward end of the spring being connected to said cover.
 8. A heel portion as claimed in claim 7 comprising means on said cover for adjusting the tension in the spring. 